For many years, microprocessors and like computer apparatus have been configured with printed circuit boards (PCBs) having semiconductive chip carriers or receptors secured thereto, with semiconductive chips releasably secured in the chip carriers. The chips have a generally rectangular array of male contacts depending therefrom and the chip carriers are configured with female contacts at their upper side for the receipt individually of the chip-dependent male contacts.
The chip carriers are further configured with male contacts electrically continuous with their female contacts and the former are inserted in PCB conductive strip apertures and then "free-flow" soldered thereto. The free-flow soldering provides electrical continuity from the chip male contacts to the PCB traces and also provides the full basis of mechanical securement of the chip carrier to the PCB.
There occurs need for the removal of chips from chip carriers, for various reasons, such as chip failure, and the art has seen various tools for this purpose, the function of the tools evidently being to impart uplifting force to the chip to overcome the engagement, frictional force pre-existing as between the chip male contacts and the chip carrier female contacts. This is a substantial frictional retention force to overcome since the chip male contact array can include a hundred or more individual contacts.
The prior art efforts in the chip tool removal field have, to applicants' considerations, not sufficiently met the industry requirements, particularly with respect to the integrity of electrical connection of the chip carrier and the PCB. Thus, the prior art tools operate in manner imparting forces as between the interface of the chip carrier and the PCB and may adversely effect the electrical connection thereof, which is fundamental to the electrical interconnection of the replacement chip and the chip carrier.